A Family Day in Victoria: Creating Memories that Last
A Family Day in Victoria: Creating Memories that Last
Discover the Island’s coastal charm, secret gardens, and stories carved in cedar.
There’s something quietly magical about Vancouver Island, something families feel the moment they step into the dappled light of a west coast forest or watch the tide slip back across a shell-strewn beach.
Victoria, the capital city nestled at the Island’s southern tip, is known for its gardens and old-world character. But it also has a wilder side waiting to be explored: beaches with buried stories, forests that hum with birdsong, and peaceful places that invite you to slow down and reconnect.
At EV Tours, we design curated private tours based on our guests’ preferences and needs. Our Family Tour is crafted to captivate little ones, and guests of all ages, because we all carry a sparkle of joy in our hearts. This tour is perfect for families visiting Victoria by cruise ship or who are staying in Vancouver Island for some days.
Peacocks and Baby Goats
Discover a lush park of huge trees, duck ponds, and gardens with roaming peacocks. A great attraction there is the children’s animal farm, with all sorts of animals like donkeys, llamas, pigs, and where families can pet baby goats. There’s a sense of calm here. No rush, just the beauty of nature to take in.
Into the Trees: Forest Paths and Coastal Light
Not far away, a forest path curls beneath towering cedars and firs. Sunlight flickers through the canopy, and the scent of damp earth and wild greenery fills the air. These are the moments where kids run ahead, hop from stone to root, and marvel at their surroundings.
Eventually, the trail opens toward a gorgeous castle nestled by a lagoon and the sea. This is Hatley Castle.
A Castle Featured in Many Movies
Up a gentle rise, overlooking a lagoon surrounded by forests, stands a castle from a past, romantic era. This grand stone house, with turrets and ivy-covered walls, was once a private family home, with more than 30 rooms.
Hatley Castle has been home for movies and TV Series, like X-men and The Descendants. They are often filming there from Hollywood, as this is a stunning historical setting.
From the castle we venture down to the lagoon, a wild foul refuge. Eagles soar overhead. blue herons move slowly along the shore and the seaside is a place to explore driftwood art by a local artist.
Stories Carved in Cedar – Native Totem Poles
Not far from the city’s edge lies a gathering of totem poles, each carved with figures that tell a story. Some totem poles are new and bright; others weathered by time and lichen. Totem polls last for about 80 years and they return to the ground of Mother Earth. The stories they tell are of families, of creatures, of legends passed down through generations of First Nations People.
Each carving is a thread in a story far older than the city itself. At Victoria’s inner harbour, by the Royal BC museum, is Thunderbird park, a collection of totem poles with nearby Indigenous gardens: Native plants grow in quiet beds: medicinal herbs, berry bushes, and flowering stalks once used by the coast Salish people for food, shelter, and ceremony.
A walk here offers something more reflective, a way to connect with the history of the land.
Not just another Day on your trip but rooted A memories for the whole family.
Victoria offers families the chance to explore nature, history, and culture in a way that feels meaningful and different. If you are visiting with young children or traveling with three generations, as many of our guests, there’s something here for everyone, and room to enjoy it all together.
Ready to explore Victoria as a family?
Let your day unfold among forests, shorelines, and stories that go deeper than the guidebooks.
👉 Discover our Private Family Tour: Nature, culture, and moments you’ll carry with you.
